Automobile engine stop



June l2, E923,

F. L. CANTRALL.

AUTOMOBILE ENGINE STOP Filed Jan. 5, 1921 Fjgl munt" nmlllll d ATTORNEYSPatented .lime l2, i923.

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FORREST L. CANTRLL, OF LIKLEY, CALFRNIA, ASSIGNOEQBY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO ENGINEERING SPECALTES COM'PANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALI-FORMIA, A. CORPORATEON OF CALIFORNA.

AUTGMOBLE ENGINE STOP.

Application filed January 3, 1921.

T0 all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, Fonnns'r L. CANTRALL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Likley, Modoc County and State of California,have invented a new land useful Automobile Engine Stop, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to means for automatically stopping the operationof an automobile engine.

An object of the invention is to provide means, operating automatically,for interrupting the spark of an automobile engine so that when thedriver is away from the car, the engine cannot be left running.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing will be set forth in the following descriptionof the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in thedrawings accompanying and forming part of the specifica-tion. It is tobe understood that l do not limit myself to the showing made by the saiddrawings and description, as l. may adopt variations of the preferred.form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings; Figure 1 is a plan view of my engine stop andportions of the automobile upon which it is applied. Electricalconnection and circuits are shown in diagram. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional view thru a portion of the engine stop casing. rl`he plane ofsection is indicated by line 2-2 of F ig. 1. lllhe position of parts isthat in which the spark circuit is short circuited. Fig. 3 is a verticalsection similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts in the position normallyassumed during the operation of the automobile. Fig. 4C is a-hori-Zontal sectional view, the plane of section being indicated by the line4 4 of Fig. 2.

Owners of automobile delivery trucks have found that a large saving infuel could be effected if the drivers could be induced to shut off theengine when the vehicle is left standing during deliveries. rlhis hasbeen found to be impracticable and it is therefore one of the objects ofmy invention to provide a means of automatic control, the operation ofwhich is initiated when the transmission system of the car is renderedinoperative, as it necessarily must Serial No. 434,621.

be when the car it brought to rest without stopping the engine. ln thetransmission system, l include change gears9 clutch and other mechanismsbetweenv the engine and the driving axle.r

ln terms of broad inclusion the structure of my device comprises a.block in which are arranged a cylinder containing a piston, a cylindercomprising a dash pot, and a chamber containing a valve. rlhe valvechamber is connected to the intake manifold between the butterfly valveand the cylinders and the valve is opened and closed with movement ofthe gear shift lever. Opening the valve places the piston cylinder incommunication with the intake manifold so that the partial vacuumtherein is utilized to move the piston, which operates a circuit closingand opening mechanism for controlling the spark circuit. rlhe piston isconnected to the dash pot piston and its movement is controlled thereby.lf the engine of the car is left running, the gear shift lever must bebrought to neutral position to stop the car. Such movement of the levereffects a connection of the manifold to the cylinder containing thepiston, which operates the circuit closing and opening mechanism, andwithin a predetermined interval, the spark is discontinuedL and theengine stopped, upon which the piston and circuit closing and openingmechanisms return to first position which restores the spark circuit.

ln detail terms, my invention comprises a block 2 provided with lugs 3for connecting the block to the frame a of the automobile. The block isformed with three cylinder chambers 6, 7 and S, the middle one, 7,having a rotary valve 9 disposed therein. A lever arm 11 fixed on thevalve stem is connected by link 12 to the gear shift leverl13. rThevalve is formed with an annular groove 1e in register with the port 16in the side wall of the block which is in communication by means ofconduit 17 with the intake manifold 18 of the engine 19. A passage 21finthe valve opens at one end in the annular groove and the other end isregistered with the port 22, leading into the bottom of the chamber 8,when the lever 11 is in its central position which occurs when the gearshift lever is moved to neutral position. v Movement of the gear shiftlever out ot neutral, turns the valve to cover the port 22.

Arranged in the chamber 8 is a relatively tween the rocker arms on oneside. On the other side, the rocker arms are similarly connected by link32 withdash pot piston 33 arranged in ch-amber 6, the `lower portion ofwhich contains a quantity of oil.

The lower end of the link 32 is provided with a passage 34 opening onthe under side of the piston and also on the side ot the link within thepiston in the port 36.v A sleeve 37 surrounding the link and 'formedwith a short spiral slot 88 overlying the port 36, provides means foradjusting the size of the by-pass passage. r)The sleeve extends to thetop of the link and is provided with a recessed flange 39 toy.facilitate turning.k

Movement of the piston 23 is thus timed by the rate of flow of the oilthru the passage 34 from one side oi the piston to the other. Pivotallymounted on each pin 2S on the outside ot each rocker arm is a lever arm4l, the endl of'which is connected by spring 42 to the far end of theadjacent rocker arm.

The two levers 41 are preferably formed originally in one `piececonnected by an arm 43. This piece is then folded to bring the leversinto alignment and parallelism, the arm forming an arch connecting thetwo levers and overlying the twin arms 29 when assembled. The center ofthe archis provided with a contact point 44, adapted to engage the stud46 iizred in and insulated from the hood 47 ywhich houses the top of theblock and is held' thereon by a nut on the threaded end 48 of the stud26. The stud 46 is connected byconduct-or 49 witlrthe vspark circuit 5lbetween the `generator or battery a2 and the distributor head rThe arms41 thus comprise a switch mechanism for shorting the spark circuit thruthe conductor 49 and the instrument itself, when the contact 44 engagesthe stud 4G, and freeing the circuit when the contact disengages thestud.

mechanism and conductor 49 being` inter rupted. lf the car is stoppedand the engine i The parts are in the positionr shown in Fig. 3,thecircuit thru the switch lett running-the gear shift levermust bebrought to neutral position. This turns-the valve 9 to connectthemanifold with they `chamber 8, and the vacuum in the manifold sucksthe piston downwardlyfat ,a speed determined by the dash pot adJustment.

lAfter a short movement ot'. the piston, the

springs 42 pass the axis of the pivot pins 28, exerting a rapidlyaccelerating` resilient pressure on the switch arms 4l, snapping themabruptly downwardly and contacting` the point 44 with thestud 46. Theparts are no as shownin Fig. 2, and the ignition circuit 51 is shorted,interrupting the spark and stopping the engine. Yiith the stopping otthe engine, the vacuum is released, and under the influence oi` thevspring 24, the rpiston rises, carrying up lthe spring 42 which,

upon passing' the axis of the pivot pins,

snaps the arms 41 back to first position breaking the short circuit andreestablishing the ignition circuit. The dash pot mechanism is adjusted-to permit the piston to complete a stroke in, say 30 seconds, so thatin starting there is ample'time orthe driver to crank his car, get in,and shiithis gears, before the spark is again interrupted. ldlith theshitting of the gears, the valve 9 is turned to close the port 22 andthe device is then inoperative until the gear shil't lever is againmoved to neutral, when'the same cycle ot operations occur as before. Ttwill be understood that during the 30 seconds required for the device tostop the engine,"the delivery man may make many Othis calls. Where lthecall is short, that is, within the adjusted limit, the engine will berunning when he returns. The purpose of my invention lhoivever is tomake it impossible to leave the engine running lduring absences from'the car extending over periods long enough to involve objectionablewaste of iiiuel.V

lt will be perfectly obvious from the foregoing that instead oi theswitch lever completing a short circuit in a grounded system,

yl. An attachment for automobile engines f comprising a switch forinterru ting .the

spark, means operatingy in both vt e closed and open positions of saidswitch fory applying thereto a rapidly accelerated resilient pressure tothrow the switch abruptly lto the other position, and means leffectivewhen the transmission'systeinof the automobile is inoperative forinitiating lthe.ofperationof said means. f

2. An attachment -or automobilev engines comprisinga switch forinterrupting the spark, means operating rin both thefclosed and openpositions oiisaid switch forapply ing thereto a rapidly `acceleratedresilient pressure to throw the switch abruptly to the other position,and means actuated by the vacuum induced in the engine for operatingsaid switch throwing means.

3. An attachment for automobile engines, comprising a switch forinterrupting the spark, means operating in both the closed and openpositions of said switch for applying thereto a rapidlyacceleratedresilient pressure to throw the switch abruptly to the otherposition, vacuum controlled means for operating said switch throwingmeans, and means eiective when the transmission system of the automobileis inoperative for connectingr said vacuum controlled means to theintake manifold of the engine.

4. An attachment for automobile engines comprising a switch forinterrupting the spark, means operating in both the closed` and openpositions of said switch for lapplying thereto a rapidly acceleratedresilient pressure to throw the switch abruptly to the other position,vacuum controlled means for operating said switch throwing means,

and means operatively connected to the gear shift mechanism forconnecting said vacuum controlled means to the intake manifold ot' theengine 5. An attachment for automobile engines comprising a switch Aforinterrupting the spark, means operating in both the closed and openpositions of said switch for applying thereto a rapidly acceleratedresilient pressure to throw theswitch abruptly to the other position, apiston connected to said switch thro-wing means, and means effectivewhen the transmission system of the automobile is inoperative torsubjecting said piston to the vacuum induced in the engine.

6. An attachment for automobile engines comprising a switch forinterrupting the spark, ymeans operating in both the closed and openpositions of said switch for applying thereto a rapidly acceleratedresilient pressure to throw the switch abruptly to the other position, apiston connected to said switch throwing means, means eiiective when thetransmission system of the automobile is inoperative for subjecting saidpiston to the vacuum induced in the engine, and a spring for effectingthe recovery of said piston. n

7. An attachment for automobile engines comprising a switch forinterrupting the spark, means operating in both the closed and openpositions of said switch for applying thereto a rapidly acceleratedresilient pressure to throw the switch abruptly to the other position, apiston connected to said switch throwing means, means effective when thetransmission system of the automobile is inoperative for subjecting saidpiston to the vacuum induced in the engine, a spring or effecting therecovery of said piston` and means for timing the movement of saidpiston.

8. An attachment for automobile engines, comprising a switch forinterrupting the spark, means operating in both ythe closed and openpositions of said switch for applying thereto a rapidly acceleratedresilient pressure to throw the switch abruptly to the other position,a-vacuum controlled piston for operating said switch throwing means, avalve for controlling the application of engine induced vacuum to saidpiston, and means operatively connected with the gea-r shift mechanismfor operating said valve.

y9. An attachment for automobileengines, comprising a switch forinterrupting the spark, means operating in both the closed and openpositions of said switch for applying thereto a rapidly acceleratedresilient pressure to throw the switch abruptly to the other position, avacuum controlled piston for operating said switch throwing means. avalve for controlling the application ot' engine induced vacuum to saidpiston, a spring for effecting the recovery of said piston, and meansoperatively connected with the gear shift mechanism for operating saidvalve. v

l0. An yattachment for automobile engines comprising a lswitch i forinterrupting the spark, means operating in both the closed and openpositions of said switchv for applying thereto a rapidly acceleratedresilient pressure to throw the switch abruptly to the other position, avacuum controlled piston 4|ior operating said switch throwing means, avalve for controlling the application ot engine induced vacuum to saidpiston, a spring for eiiecting the recovery of said piston, means fortiming the movement of said piston, and means operatively connected withthe gear shift mechanism for operaiing said valve.

ll. An attachment Jfor automobileengines comprising, a piston,`meansoperatively connected to the gear shift mechanism for con-y trolling theapplication of engine induced vacuum to said piston, a rocker armconnected to said piston., a pivoted switch arm for interrupting thespark, and a tension spring connecting the rocker and switch arms sothat each stroke of the piston shifts the spring to the opposite side ofthe switch arm axis.

12. An attachment for automobile engines comprising, a piston, meansoperatively connected to the gear shift mechanism for controlling theapplication oi engine induced vacuum to said piston, a rocker armconnected to said piston, means for timing the speed oi said piston, apivoted switch arm for interrupting the spark, and a tension springconnecting the rocker and switch arms so that each stroke of the pistonshifts the spring to the opposite side of the switch arm axis.

13. An attachment for automobile engines comprising, a piston, meansoperatively con-` nected :to :thegearshift-mechanism for controlling theAapplication of engine 'induced vacuum tovsaidpiston, a rocker4 arm con-'1 nectedto `said piston, means for effecting the `recovery of saidpiston, means for timingthe speed ofsaid piston, a pivoted switch armfor interrupting the spark, and atension spring connectinthe rocker andswitch neoted .to the gear 'shift ymechanism for: controlling theapplication, of. engine induced o vacuum to-said piston, a ,rocker armconnected to-saidpiston, means for controlling thespeed of said piston,means for varyT ing the effect of said controlling means,a pivoted`switchI arm for vinterrupting the spark, and a tension springconnecting-the rocker andswitch 'arms so that each stroke `of thepistonlshifts the spring to the oppositeside oitheswitch arm axis.

' l5. An attachment for automobile engines comprising a block formedwith three charm bers therein, a, pistony disposed in one ofsaid'chambers, timing means `'for controlling the speed of `said, pistonarranged, inv an-A other of saidchambers, a valve arranged in the thirdchamber and Aconnected to the gear ,shift mechanismffor controllingtheconnection .of said piston-chamber to the inptake manifold of theengine, a rocker arm bers therein, a piston disposed in one oi saidchambers, timingmeans for controlling the speed of said piston arrangedi-n another of said chambers, ag valve arranged in the third chamber andoperatively connected to the gearshift mechanism. for controlling thekconnection of said pistonchamber to the in#` 'take manifold of. theengine, a rocker arm for connecting the, piston to the piston tim*- ingmeans, a ypivoted switch arm for-,inten rupting thesp'ark,` and altension spring connecting the rocker and switch arms so that each strokeof the piston shifts the spring to the opposite side ofthe switch armaxis.

In testimony whereof, Ihave hereunto set my hand.` i f .FQRRESToANrnALL;

